Asian Ecumenical Institute-2025, month-long leadership development training set to commence

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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30 July 2025

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI), the annual month-long ecumenical training programme for prospective church and ecumenical leaders organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), is set to commence from 4 August 2025.

AEI–2025 will be held at the CCA headquarters located on the campus of Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This year, twenty-five participants from across Asia have been selected to take part in the programme.

The main theme of AEI-2025 is “The Nicene Creed: Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity.” The emphasis will be on nurturing a spirit of unity that transcends theological differences and cultural diversity.

As Christians around the world mark 2025 as the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, AEI–2025 will focus on reflecting on the foundations of the Nicene Creed and affirming faith in the Triune God.

The academic sessions will explore a wide range of related themes, including “Reflection on the Nicene Creed”; “The Nicene Creed – Its Ecumenical Significance Today”; “Visible Unity as a Sign of God’s Healing Love”; “The Nicene Creed Towards Wider Ecclesial Unity and Wider Ecumenism”; “The Nicene Creed and Its Impact on the Life and Witness of Christian Communities in Asia”; “Legacy of the Council of Nicaea: Revitalising the Ecumenical Movement”; “Power of Unity in Diversity”; “Unity in a Polarised and Fragmented World”; “Healing a Polarised World: A Call to Unity”; “Our Faith that Endures: Hopes Amid Uncertainty”; “Echoes of the Council of Nicaea: Living Our Unity and Our Struggle for Unity”; “Our Transformative Mission and Witness Towards Unity”; and “Trinitarian Foundation and Our Faith from Diverse Ecclesial Traditions.”

Internationally acclaimed theologians, biblical scholars, ecumenical leaders, and social scientists will serve as facilitators for the academic sessions.

Resource persons for AEI–2025 include Rev. Dr M. O. John (India), Professor at Orthodox Theological Seminary, Kottayam; Dr Andrej Jeftić (Serbia), Director of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva; Rev. Dr Eleazar Fernandez (Philippines), Professor at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA; Rev. Dr J. Jayakiran Sebastian (USA), Dean and H. George Anderson Professor of Mission and Cultures at the United Lutheran Seminary, USA; Dr Oan Jaisaodee (Thailand), Professor at McGilvary College of Divinity, Payap University; Rev. Prof. Dr P. G. George (India), formerly Director of the South Asia Theological Research Institute of the Senate of Serampore College, Kolkata; Rev. W. P. Ebenezer Joseph (Sri Lanka), Minister and former President of the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka; Rev. Dr Kochappilly Paulachan, CMI (India), Professor at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore; Rev. Prof. Dr Pradit Takerngrangsarit (Thailand), former President of Payap University and Dean of McGilvary College of Divinity; Prof. Dr Rey Ty (Philippines), Professor at the Institute of Religion, Culture and Peace at Payap University; Rev. Dr Tabita Christiani (Indonesia), of Christian Education at Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana; and Dr Mathews George Chunakara, General Secretary of the CCA.

In addition to the academic sessions, AEI–2025 will include visits to inter-religious centres and opportunities for dialogue with religious leaders. Participants will also take part in workshops on “Living Out Our Faith,” making the programme a holistic experience in ecumenical formation and spiritual reflection.